


100% Reason to Remember the Name

by smooth_operaptor



Category: XCOM (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Minor Character Death, References to Norse Religion & Lore, waypoint xcom streams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 06:51:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15989942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smooth_operaptor/pseuds/smooth_operaptor
Summary: “Maybe a wildcard such as yourself is just what we need.”Central held out his hand for him to shake.“Welcome to X-COM, Rookie Gordon.”





	100% Reason to Remember the Name

7th of March, 2035. Operation Moon Star, in the tunnels under Cairo.

In the split second after he threw the grenade at the Advent Trooper and Sectoid, he realized that no one was ready to engage yet. Their cover was blown and Advent immediately pincered them in. As his comrades moved out into the open to take down the aliens, he could only stand and stare. When he got shot from behind, it almost knocked him through the wall.

This was the first time he saw the Advent’s forces in action, up close and personal. With a fucking purple blast of light, another goddamn Sectoid resurrected a Trooper. They certainly didn’t show that shit on the news.

He had to focus hard to stop the adrenalin rush. It would make him jittery and unprecise. In the last moment, he managed to get an arm up in defense and flinch to the side before another shot could hit him.

He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He’d wanted this, he reminded himself. He’d trained and fought to do this. How would he be earth’s first line of defense when he couldn’t even do that for this squad? He should be charging up ahead and shotgun some bad guys. And he was stuck behind, while an Officer had a gun on him somewhere from the shadows of the train car.

Before he could intervene, Min Ji Lee was caught in a fire exchange and struck with a sickly green blast. Her rattling gasps rang in his ears. This was ghoulish.

One soldier down, they still completed the mission. Dobrynin and Cpl. Elliot had been running around and taken down all enemy aliens. The two worked well together.

Meanwhile he’d collected some loot and taken down the relay. A big, unmoving hunk of metal. Impossible to miss with an easy potshot. What a contribution.

Yet, he was the only one injured. They had neither a medic nor a medkit. He begrudged it, but it was tactically sound that he had hung back.

They had already lost Lee.

“Eyes up, people. Jesus,” Corporal Elliot said, as he stepped around him out into the hangar bay. They had spent the flight back in silence. Plenty of time to stew in his regrets. 

Dobrynin perked up easier than him. Like a wet dog, he shook out the tension in his muscles and smoothed out his frown. Will pulled himself together and stood to attention. 

The other two left after the debrief, discussing whatever steampunk was all about. Maybe losing people did get easier with time. 

That was hardly reassuring. He ground his teeth. This was supposed to be a pretty standard mission, yet he still fucked it up. He wondered if he was promoted only because they were so few people and XCOM needed the bodies.

Though, he was part of the squad now, a Ranger. Now he would get up close and personal with the enemy and protect his comrades if the going got tough. He wouldn’t let anyone else die.

 

14th of March, 2035. Operation Lost and Abandoned, in the Ruins of Cairo.

He felt Heavy. He sank down to one knee as he stumbled out of the Firebrand. His gear and dignity kept him upright as the Commander debriefed them, otherwise he would have keeled over. That damn Chosen had nearly cleaved him in half. His muscles screamed at him. All he could hear was his blood rushing in his ears, underscored by shallow, huffing breaths.

The exhilaration, the stress, and the fear ebbed away until only images of the Lost and those ravens remained.

There was a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t startle, though it pulled him out of his thoughts. The sudden weight felt assuring. With a deep breath he looked up at the person.

“Corporal Gordon,” Dragunova said as she used his shoulder to pull herself back onto her feet. She’d been wounded during the last leg of their mission too, “We should get to the infirmary.”

“Don’t have one”, he grunted. “Yet. They’re still in the re-building phase. Just got the Commander back and all.”

“Then how about a drink?”

Will stood up and tried to shake his sore muscles loose when someone clapped him on his back.

“Mind if we join y’all? We heard drinks, and we’re all in,” Sergeant Elliot said, Vandenberg by his side.

They were boisterous and kind of terrible. Will felt right at ease. He turned around to Dobrynin and nodded his heads towards the others.

“First round’s on me,” he offered.

“That’s kind of ya, but I think I’m gonna head to bed.”

Will nodded as the other clapped his shoulder and headed over to Elliot. He looked back at Dragunova, who cocked her head.

“Crew quarters are up a level. You’re gonna stay a while, yeah?”

“That is what Volk ordered.”

 

“Hope you have enough money for the next few rounds, Miss Elena.”

That got a laugh out of her.

“That is about as much tact as I expected from someone sniping Lost with a shotgun, Corporal Gordon.”

“Well, what can I say, I get bloodhungry out there.”

“Good thing Alexei was there to fix you up, or you would’ve been just bloody!” Sgt. Elliot hollered from the other side of the bar, well into his third beer. Vandenberg laughed and then shushed him. Truly, they were terrible together.

Will turned back to Dragunova. “I know that,” he sighed. That Witch had just come out of nowhere to attack him. The squad was right there with him on the bridge, but in that moment, he’d been alone. 

Finally he looked up at her to see her squinting and give him a measured look.

“You already walk among shadows. I can show you how to cloak yourself in darkness. You’re not a Reaper, but it will come to you easily.”

“Hm.” He cleared his throat and took another swig of beer. “I’d like that.”

That first night, nothing worked. They were too tipsy to focus. Elena tried to teach him, but just ended up disappearing and reappearing at random. When Will tried to copy her, he only managed to fall over. He had to do a combat roll every single time just to save face. This was going nowhere.

 

Will fell into bed and was out in a matter of minutes. He slept deep and dreamless. It must have already been a few hours when he was gradually woken by the cold in the quarters.

There could be no open windows. Was the AC broken? The others shivered under their blankets, but no one woke up. He couldn’t go back to sleep until this was fixed.  
In a weirdly grey light he slunk through the corridors. He hoped to catch an engineer, but everything was empty. There was movement in the edge of his vision and he saw a raven hopping away. Wherever it had come in, that must’ve been where the cold was coming from.

He followed it unquestioned and stepped immediately onto the landing platform. What should have looked like Egypt by night were fields overlooking a bay, drenched in the hazy grey light. Will furrowed his brow. 

From behind nothing much, a figure appeared.

“I am Odin,” Odin said.

“Huh,” Will answered, somehow inclined to believe that.

They stood for a few seconds, the fog almost too thick to move in. Odin measured him. He stood on the far edge of the platform. He was uncomfortably close.

“Vilhjálmr.“

Will inhaled sharply.

The name hummed in the air.

He was raised on banshees and fairies, bedtime stories from his grandmother. A true name had power. A name was a secret. Will felt claimed. Norse gods and their rules were unfamiliar. He stayed silent, unwilling to give the god any more ground.

Odin took a step towards him.

“Your battles have changed. There is still as much war and bloodshed as there has ever been, but these new arrivals from between the stars have tainted them. The glorious dead do not arrive in Valhalla anymore.”

Will bristled. Odin strode.

“This is a threat to my might I will not allow. Starkad’s blood runs in you. Will you be my champion?” He offered his hand to Will.

“What’s that mean?”

“If you grant me your strength, I will return it tenfold. You are desperate. You are determined. I can make your aim true and your heart calm.” Odin pounded on his chest, a movement that, on its own, made any mortal look delicate. “I have already sent my ravens to aid you.”

Huh.

“That can’t be all you want.”

“Subvert the Elder’s influence. Their Chosen shall be no threat to someone with Odin’s touch.” Again, he offered Will his hand.

Will wanted to ask about a catch. Wanted to doubt on principle. To keep himself guarded, like his grandmother taught him. 

“On one condition.”

Fuck it. He’d burn those bridges when he came to them. He grabbed Odin’s forearm and wished he would leave a mark on the arm guard.

“It’s _my_ name.”

**Author's Note:**

> Jude!!! thanks for being in this micro fandom with me :D  
> if anyone else is reading this fic, hurry up and come talk about these streams!!


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